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Zac Affleck has opened up about the breakdown of his marriage to Jen Affleck, revealing that he tried to convince her to stay together after she first expressed her desire to divorce nearly a year ago.
The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives star addressed their separation in a TikTok video posted on Thursday, November 5, two days after Jen filed for divorce following seven years of marriage.
Zac, 30, confirmed that he learned about the official filing from a TMZ reporter but explained that the possibility of ending their relationship had been discussed for some time.
"Jen came to me about a year ago, after Dancing With the Stars, and told me she was unhappy and wanted a divorce," he said. "And I basically begged her to stay, told her [I would] work on things, fix things, become whoever she needed me to be, and ultimately just we couldn't make it work."
Zac acknowledged his role in the relationship's breakdown, admitting that he had made several mistakes during their marriage. He also said he did not want the public to turn against his estranged wife because of their separation.
"I don't want anyone speaking bad about Jen," he said. "I'll be the first to say I've made plenty of mistakes in our marriage, and it just really was time for us to go our own ways."
The couple married in 2019 and share four children: Nora, 5, Luca, 3, Penelope, 16 months, and a fourth baby Jen is currently expecting.
Reflecting on their relationship, Zac said they had started their marriage young but gradually struggled with the demands of raising a family while living much of their personal lives in the public eye. "Marriage is hard. Having your marriage in the public is hard. Raising kids is hard, and I think slowly over time we lost that spark," he explained.
Jen also appeared to address their relationship in a TikTok video posted the same day. She shared an older clip in which Zac criticised her appearance while she was preparing to film content for social media. Accompanying the footage, she wrote: "he was never my biggest supporter."
Despite their decision to separate, Zac said his immediate focus was maintaining a positive relationship with Jen as they prepare to welcome their fourth child.
He added that he hoped they could give their children a normal childhood, explaining that both parents wanted to work together and provide them with the best possible upbringing.
